Gin & Tonic

The back room at Gin & Tonic is posted with rows and rows of scribbled sticky notes. It serves as the shop’s cheat sheet, telling staff which customer loves which designer.

Not that they need it. Owner Kris Hutton and her staff remember all their regulars, and if you’re one, you’ll get a call the day new spring dresses from your favourite designer arrive.

At Gin & Tonic clothes need to be of beautiful quality, have a sensible price point, and robust. Before a brand is chosen for the store, Hutton puts garments through their paces, wearing jeans all day to test stretch recovery and washing Merino knits in the machine to see how they survive.

Gin & Tonic stocks designers from Australia and overseas. Melbourne is well represented with fashion forward dresses from Mesop, and exquisite knitwear from Cable. From LA, Johnny Was does easy bohemian pieces out of beautifully printed silk, and then there’s NYDJ (Not Your Daughter’s Jeans), a brand that promises to make the wearer look one size smaller.

The clothing offering is complemented by a collection of jewellery pieces such as feathered tribal bib necklaces, shimmering earrings, as well as simple pendants. There are also handbags from Rugged Hide and gifts like candles and body lotions.